Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Five Things to Know About Dana Wilkey

She helped Taylor Armstrong throw a $60,000 tea party for her daughter Kennedy's fourth birthday on season one of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Now, event planner Dana Wilkey, who happens to be a friend of Armstrong, is joining the cast of Bravo's hit reality show.

The USC grad, 37, is the proud mom to her 22-month-old son John Cayden Flynn, and is planning her wedding for next year. Although loved ones and the glitz and glamour of 90210 surround her, Wilkey is at heart a goofball who experienced tragedy at a young age. Here's what you should know about Wilkey:

1. She's helping Armstrong through her split

"I can't say enough wonderful things about her," Wilkey tells PEOPLE of Armstrong, who was by her side during an interview. "She's just the most beautiful person. She's really focusing on Kennedy right now and surrounding herself with really good friends. She's just focusing on being a good mom."

2. She collects Barbie dolls as a hobby

"I'm in love with Barbie," Wilkey says, explaining that she began collecting them when she was young, after her mom's fatal car accident. "She used to buy me a doll every year. So it kind of brings me back to when I was little. I felt so close to my mom." Wilkey, who has been collecting the dolls for 20 years, says her "awesome" set includes "some really limited edition" dolls.

"Couture is such a pleasure to wear if you can," says Wilkey, who spends a lot of time on Rodeo Drive. "If you can afford it, it's a cool feeling. Most people can remember when they bought their first couture purse. I'm kind of a brand-w–." But even in her designer duds, she admits she isn't inherently stylish. "My fashion sense only goes so far," she says. "If it's Christian Dior, it probably looks good."

5. She has a silly side

"I have Dana-isms," Wilkey says, explaining that viewers will get a better idea of her own language when they see her on the show. "People make fun of the way I talk sometimes. I don't know if it's because what I say sounds silly or because I make up words. There are things I call people. It's very funny."

TMZ has learned the stars of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" were well aware of Taylor Armstrong's claims of spousal abuse ....long before her allegations went public.

Sources connected with the show tell us ... Taylor had showed her castmates bruising and other injuries, claiming her husband Russell was responsible.

According to sources connected with production, Taylor -- who filed for divorce from her husband Russell earlier this month -- was adamant about hiding what she has called a physically and emotionally abusive marriage.

And, sources say, Russell even got "aggressive" with Taylor at an event, and execs from Bravo witnessed it.

Taylor told People.com, her arguments with her husband often got physical -- with Russell grabbing her, shoving her, and pulling her hair.

Russell has denied the hair-pulling, but admits to pushing her -- blaming "Housewives" for pushing the couple to their "limit."

That's such a random thing for Brandi to say though, I wonder if there's some truth to it.

^^This. It will be interesting to see the whole scene surrounding the argument. People generally don't say things like that just for the hell of it. I'm curious to see what sets ol' ex-Mrs. Cibrian off.

"I'm not allowed within 200 feet of a school. Or a Chuck-E-Cheese..." Alan - The Hangover

TMZ has learned the stars of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" were well aware of Taylor Armstrong's claims of spousal abuse ....long before her allegations went public.

Sources connected with the show tell us ... Taylor had showed her castmates bruising and other injuries, claiming her husband Russell was responsible.

According to sources connected with production, Taylor -- who filed for divorce from her husband Russell earlier this month -- was adamant about hiding what she has called a physically and emotionally abusive marriage.

And, sources say, Russell even got "aggressive" with Taylor at an event, and execs from Bravo witnessed it.

Taylor told People.com, her arguments with her husband often got physical -- with Russell grabbing her, shoving her, and pulling her hair.

Russell has denied the hair-pulling, but admits to pushing her -- blaming "Housewives" for pushing the couple to their "limit."

It goes without saying that domestic abuse is a horrible thing blah blah blah....

BUT

This woman is a con artist, a well documented con artist accusing a man of domestic abuse. Let me just put it out there that I'm taking all of this with a tonne of salt....

Enlarge Lawsuit: Taylor Armstrong and her husband Russell are being sued

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong and her soon to be ex-husband Russell are being sued for $1.5 million for misleading investors.
The couple have been accused of misleading investors in a company called NuWay Digital Systems, Inc. (NDS).
Venture capitalist Russell was the chief executive officer of the company, which held interest in another company called MyMedicalRecords.com (MMR).
In the lawsuit, the latter claims Russell collected more than a million dollars by selling off NDS shares to investors who were told they were getting a piece of MMR.

It also claims the duo ‘successfully and secretly’ funnelled money from MMR and into their own pockets.

It is then claimed to have been used to invest in an upmarket restaurant with Desperate Housewives star Eva.

MMR also accuses the duo of misusing funds to 'live a lavish lifestyle' including paying for interior decorating on their mansion.
Additionally it is claimed they used some of the cash to redecorate their Beverly Hills mansion.
According to TMZ, the two parties had reached a settlement over the affair, but the lawsuit claims they have breached that agreement.
MMR is claiming $1.5 million in damages for breach of contract through Los Angeles Superior Court.

Reality stars: Taylor has filed for divorce from Russell Armstrong

Despite their legals woes and their impending divorce, it has emerged the couple are still attending counselling.
Taylor, 40, filed for divorce on July 15 and claims Russell verbally and physically abused her.
A source close to the couple told RadarOnline: ‘The couple will be continuing therapy, separately.
‘Taylor and Russell had been in marriage counselling together, and that helped Taylor to realize she needed to file for divorce.
‘The hard work for Taylor is just beginning. Russell has a plethora of issues he is working through, including his temper.’
Supposedly Taylor is hoping for as amicable a divorce as possible for the sake of their five-year-old daughter Kennedy.

However, the insider said: 'It's anything but amicable at this point.
‘Russell is extremely angry that these abuse allegations have been made public. ‘
‘This divorce has the potential to be the war of the roses."
She has claimed arguments between them sometimes escalated to him pushing and shoving her, throwing objects at her and pulling her hair.
Russell has admitted to pushing his wife, saying: ‘Did I push her? Yes, maybe things happened in the heat of the moment.
‘But it was during a time in our lives that was not characteristic of who we were. This show has literally pushed us to the limit.’

Richard McLaren/Bravo
One of the most-anticipated season premieres of the fall, as well as the most unfortunate, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills returned to Bravo Monday night, less than a month after the suicide of Russell Armstrong, the estranged husband of Housewives castmate Taylor Armstrong.

His death provoked a good deal of debate among viewers, and possibly panic over at Bravo. And here we had the outcome.

The show started with the Housewives, minus Taylor, meeting at Adrienne Maloof's home and discussing the death, which they generally attributed to financial problems. It was like a salon of Victorian gentlewomen trying to allude to a scandal without having to rattle their teacups violently. (An actual photo of Russell might have helped.)

"I had too much information to want to connect with him," said Lisa, rather credibly. Kyle Richards cried, "I think a lot of us feel some guilt about not seeing this coming," then concluded: "Life goes on. It has to."

And The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills goes on, too. It has to.

An onscreen message informed us that the show had been recorded prior to Russell's death. But as Bravo had already announced, the show was re-edited after his death.

A different version of the premiere was sent out to critics earlier this summer. The changes weren't drastic. Gone from the hour – which focused on an oddly composed dinner of macaroni, salad greens and champagne that Adrienne threw for the Housewives – was a segment that had Taylor and friends in a sexy lingerie shop, discussing her relationship with Russell and saying she hoped to re-spark some intimacy between them.

Also snipped were some thoughtless comments by Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken about what they thought was Taylor's ability to manufacture emotions.

In general, the cameras were more sensitive about not dwelling on Taylor's tautly miserable face – the right decision, certainly – although she still came across with a sort of Cate Blanchett intensity.

None of this resolves the new season's basic problem. Housewives is a confection, not a documentary project. It can incorporate a range of dramatic problems – including Camille Grammer's divorce – but Russell Armstrong's off-camera, post-filming, pre-season suicide remains like a storm system swirling above all these preposterously outfitted frenemies kissing and undercutting each other in the California sun.

If there is ever to be rain, and there will be, it will be controlled like a sprinkler system. And so, while a champagne that goes for $2,200 a bottle is served to dinner guests, and a tiny dog named Jiggy laps water from gold-leaf glassware, you watch and wonder what footage has gone missing, what footage has been added, how the recipe has been and will be adjusted to keep you entertained.